Mermaid Tales
by KickPrevails
Summary: A collection of several one-shots, or tales, about the characters of the show, "Mako Mermaids". Ratings will vary, but the story is rated K plus as a whole, as that is the show's rating. Requesting is currently put on hold because I have a LOT to write. (thank you for all the requests!)
1. Introduction

**Welcome to…**

 **~~drumroll~~**

 **MERMAID TALES!**

 **This story is a collection of several tales about the characters of Mako Mermaids.**

 **Each chapter will be a new story. Before the story begins, a title, summary, characters focused on in the story, the approximate time period, and a rating (K, K+, T, M) will be given.**

 **I hope it sounds interesting, because that's not all!**

 **If anybody has any ideas, I'm accepting requests! I'd like you to either review or PM me. Please include the pairing or characters you'd like the short story to be about, the rating of the story, and any additional information, such as settings, time period, details, or just your own summary of what you'd like to happen!**

 **Don't be afraid to make suggestions. No matter what you may think, I love all couples and friendships in which the show has offered thus far.**

 **Also, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!**

 **So with that, it's time to begin!**


	2. My Valentine

**Requested by Doe6215—Thank you! I also love, love, LOVE Erik and Ondina together. Sorry I waited until now to get it out; this one took me a lot of the day to do!**

 **(I was in a mild, sappy mood today. Maybe soon I'll put out a more mature story with these two.)**

 **Title: My Valentine**

 **Pairing: Erik and Ondina**

 **Time Period: Set sometime after 2x22, "The Last Dance", but before 2x26, "The Chosen One".**

 **Summary: After realizing how big of a sacrifice it was for Ondina to give up her life in the ocean for a life with him, Erik is determined to make this Valentine's Day the best ever.**

 **Rating: T**

* * *

Erik had been preparing for this day ever since he met Ondina. When he met her, he was immediately drawn to her. He'd fallen for her, and from there, he pursued her. He knew he'd catch her eventually because he could see in her eyes that she wanted him too.

He smiled at the calendar at his bedside and hopped up, ready to prepare for this big day.

~.x.x.x.~

Ondina smiled to herself as she sat in the grotto. Today was going to be a good day, she just knew it. Erik had called Rita's house and told her not to come out and meet him, and that he'd come and get her instead.

"What's got you all happy?" asked her best friend, Mimmi, who sat next to her on one of the ledges of the golden-tan rock.

Ondina gave a long, bubbly sigh.

"It's Valentine's Day today, and I'm so excited to spend the day with Erik."

"So we can't hang out today, either?" Mimmi said, a disappointed tone in her voice. Ondina took notice of this and leaned over to put a hand on the shoulder of her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Mimmi. It's just… today is the day that land-people celebrate being in love, so I really just need today to be about me and him. But tomorrow, we can swim together all you want!"

Mimmi nodded and gave a small smile, but then it faded again.

"What do I do today, then? If you're going to be with Erik, Zac's going to be with Evie, Sirena's going to be with David, and Cam's going to be with Carly?"

"Hmm… well, isn't there that one boy you said you met at the marine park a few months back?"

"Chris? He… went to America for a while."

"I know. But you said he'd be gone for three months, right? And how long ago was that?"

"About three…" Mimmi stopped in her tracks and gave a wide smile. She hopped up from where she was sitting. "Months! Three months! He should be back by now! I'll – I'll go see him!"

Ondina gave a smile.

"Good. You have fun today!" she called after her best friend, who'd already left the room.

Ondina sighed and stood. She began walking around the grotto. Maybe… maybe she should do something while she waited for Erik to arrive. She grinned as she dug up Mimmi's makeup, no-water perfume, and comb.

"I'm so glad I have a girly best friend," Ondina exclaimed as she rushed to the closest bathroom.

~.x.x.x.~

Erik stepped up to the front door of Rita's house. He straightened out his polo shirt, gripped his pink and red roses firmly in his hand, and blew slowly out of his mouth. After a while of calming his racing heart down, he got the courage to finally knock on the front door.

"Coming!" called the sing-song voice of his girlfriend. He stood, bouncing up and down, waiting for her to greet him.

He was extremely nervous for the day ahead of them. He'd planned so many things to do that took up the entirety of the day, and the _last_ thing he wanted was for something to go wrong.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door open. Immediately, he looked up at the door.

What he saw made his pupils grow wide and his smile grow big. There Ondina stood, but she didn't look like she normally did. Her usual curls were tamed into silky, shiny waves that fell perfectly over her shoulders. She wore a strapless, pale pink dress that tightened around her chest and waist, but stopping mid-thigh in a flowy, loose way. She wore a sparkly pink eyeshadow that emphasized the blue in her eyes. To top it all off, her lips were glossed ever so perfectly that it made Erik go wild.

"Wow. You – you l-look… wow," he stammered.

Ondina smiled and walked over to him, standing right in front of him. She beamed.

"Thanks," she said, looking down with a shrug. She looked back up at him.

He looked so nice that it made her want to find her friends and brag about how attractive her boyfriend was, but she couldn't, because today was a day for just the two of them.

His hair was slicked back so nicely and his face was cleanly shaven, but what caught her attention most were his gorgeous eyes that made her go weak in the knees by the second.

The two just stood for a while, staring at one another, lost in a moment that seemed to never end.

Eventually, Erik was the first to snap out of this trance and he held out the bouquet of roses to her. She smiled and took them, smelling them. They smelled a lot like Mimmi's orchid-based perfume, only better.

Ondina gestured towards the flowers, telling Erik she'd be a minute. Quickly, she rushed back into the house, found Rita, and asked her to put the flowers somewhere safe, as Ondina really had no idea what she could do to make them still look pretty without them dying.

She ran back out to Erik and smiled. He smiled back and slipped his arm around her back. She did the same, and Erik began leading her to their first stop.

"Where are we going?" Ondina asked.

"I was hoping first we could catch some lunch—well, not literally _catch_ lunch, but get some. There's this really nice place nearby that serves the best seafood all around. You'll love it."

Erik slid his hand down to her hip and pulled her tighter against his body. Still smiling, the pair continued to walk.

Once they got to the place, Ondina was surprised to see how nice it was. There were a lot of people near the entrance, however—especially couples.

"What's going on?" Ondina asked.

"It's just busy today," Erik said. "All these people are waiting to get in. Don't worry, though, I made reservations."

Erik guided Ondina to the desk where the waitress stood.

"Hi, I have a reservation for two?" Erik said.

"All right. What's your name?"

~.x.x.x.~

Erik and Ondina sat across from each other, Erik with a plate of lobster, and Ondina with a bowl of shrimp. The two laughed together as Erik picked up a piece of lobster off of his plate.

"Okay, open," he said, nearing the piece to Ondina's mouth. She opened her mouth as Erik flicked the piece of lobster into it. She chewed and swallowed, beaming at him.

"Okay, my turn," Ondina said, grabbing a piece of shrimp from her plate. She brought it to Erik's mouth, which was already open and ready. Slowly, she brought it closer, but then she retracted her arm and popped the shrimp into her own mouth. Erik had a sad look on his face, which made Ondina crack up. He couldn't keep his sad face on for long, though—Ondina's smile caused the corners of his mouth to rise, whether he wanted them to or not.

After a while of feeding each other, Erik got the bill.

"Can I see it?" Ondina said.

"It's fine," Erik said, flashing a smile in her way. "I got it."

"I still wanna see it," she said, snatching the bill from his hands.

She looked at the cost and handed the bill back over to Erik.

"I don't know much about land pay, and I still haven't had much experience with working, but I'm pretty sure that's a lot of money. Are you sure you can pay it?"

"Of course," Erik said, reassuringly stroking her knee from underneath the table and using his free hand to retrieve money from his pocket and sign the bill.

Erik stood, pushed in his chair, and walked over to Ondina, offering his hand. She took it. He pulled her up and pushed in her chair. The two left the restaurant hand in hand.

~.x.x.x.~

"Did you see that old couple?" Ondina said as they walked down their favorite trail.

"Yeah, what about them?" Erik said, looking down at her.

"Well," Ondina said, swinging their hands. "They were feeding each other, just like we were. It was sweet."

"Well…" Erik started, stopping to stand in front of her and grab both of her hands. "Maybe that'll be us one day."

"Maybe," Ondina said, looking up at him with a twinkle in her eyes and shrugging one of her shoulders cutely. Erik smiled and freed one of his hands, tucking a stray piece of hair behind one of Ondina's ears. He cupped the other side of her face with that same hand and kissed her cheek. He could feel her cheekbones rising into a smile.

He faced forward to continue walking again.

"So, where are we going next?" asked Ondina, looking up at him curiously.

"I was hoping maybe we could go out for a swim. You know, like we normally do. Maybe do some sightseeing?"

Ondina smiled up at him.

"I'd like that," she said, squeezing his hand as they walked.

~.x.x.x.~

Erik and Ondina swum side by side as they explored the ocean. When they got closer to the ocean floor, Ondina tapped his shoulder, grabbing his attention. She pointed to a family of manta-rays swimming on the floor. He smiled at the family, and then at her, who was still watching the animals swim together.

Once the animals left, Erik gestured up at the sky, signaling for her to come up for air. She nodded, and the two swum upwards.

"So, I was wondering," Erik started once they surfaced. "You think you're pretty fast, right?"

"Uh, think?" Ondina said with a smirk.

"You get what I mean," Erik said looking down, causing water droplets to fall off the tip of his nose.

"So…" Ondina started.

"So," said Erik, looking back up at her. "I want to race."

At this, Ondina scoffed.

"What? Are you scared?" asked Erik jokingly.

"Scared? _Me_?" Ondina said. "No way. No doubt I'd beat you, it's a pity you'd even suggest it."

"Well, if I win—"

"If," Ondina interrupted.

"Yes, _if_ … Then you have to let me spend the night over at your place sometime."

"That's not too bad of a punishment," said Ondina, looking past him in consideration.

"Who said it was a punishment?" Erik said, something unrecognizable in his sea green eyes. Ondina looked back up at him. What was he suggesting? Whatever it was, Ondina couldn't help but feel her heart beat faster.

"Okay, well— _when_ I win, I want a foot rub."

"Deal," Erik said, showing his gorgeous pearly teeth.

"Right. So, where're we racing to?" Ondina asked.

"How about the moon pool at Mako? First person who makes it inside wins."

"You're on," Ondina said. "I'll count us off. On go."

Erik nodded, swimming to her side.

"Ready…"

Erik stretched out his arms, prepared for take-off.

"Set…"

And before the word "go" had even exited her mouth, Ondina had begun swimming. Erik watched her swim away, something admirable in his smirk.

"'Ay! What happened to 'go'?!" he called after her, and he began to swim. Soon enough, he was right on her tail, but he wanted to trick her into thinking she was winning, so he stayed there. Right when they were meters away from the moon pool, Erik swam past her and made it in first.

Ondina swum in after him in a fit of rage.

"Hey! How did that happen?!" she asked, but immediately fell short after looking around the room.

The part of the cave that was on land was decorated with blankets and pillows. In the corner, there was a huge, circular, inflatable raft that was bordered so water couldn't get in easily. It could fit probably around five people. The walls were strung with streamers and balloons. In front of her, there was a wide banner that read, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Oh, Erik…" she said, still staring at the decorations in awe. By now, Erik had already pulled himself out of the water and begun using his powers to dry off his tail.

"What're you just sitting there for?" he asked, eyeing her with a smile. "Get up here!"

Ondina pulled herself up out of the pool. Erik was dry and fully clothed now, and he bent over, clenching his fist to dry his girlfriend off. Soon enough, the two were dry and standing, looking at the decorations and the pool from a spectator's view.

"I know it's not a full moon tonight," he started. "But I was hoping we could put the raft into the water and watch it rise over us without actually getting wet. Do you think it'd be cool?"

"Yeah. Definitely," said Ondina, biting her lip.

As the sun set, Erik went to work on setting up the raft. He decorated it in blankets to make it comfortable to lie on, and he put pillows where their heads would be. Carefully, he set the raft into the water and climbed onto it. Ondina followed, being extra careful. Once they were both on and comfortable, Erik pushed the raft slightly away from the edge so it resided in the center of the pool.

Erik had his arm wrapped around Ondina, and she laid attached to him, clutching onto his chest. The two lay silently, staring up at the top of the volcano that exposed the sky.

"It's awfully beautiful when you're not really in the water, isn't it," Ondina said quietly.

"Definitely is," Erik said, stroking her hair. They stayed like this for a while, watching the sky. Soon, the crescent moon rose up into view. They watched until it was directly above them.

"Erik," said Ondina shakily, looking up at him. He carefully shifted his body downwards so that they were lying face-to-face. They both lay on their sides, directly facing one another.

"Yeah?" he said, reaching over to stroke her shoulder.

"Thank you so much for today. It, well—it was amazing."

"I'm glad you liked it," he said. Their smiles faded as he moved his hand up to her face.

"Ondina?"

"Erik?" she asked as their eyes directly clashed.

"…I _love_ you," he said, never once breaking eye contact.

Ondina felt her heart speed up. She nodded.

"I love you too," she said.

The air around them seemed to calm down, if not just disappear completely. Erik stared into her eyes, and then looked at her lips. Oh, those glossy lips that Erik wanted nothing more than to melt into. He looked back up at her eyes, her gorgeous eyes that broke him every time.

And she did the same, eyes flicking back and forth, as if asking permission. Unknowingly, the two were leaning into each other. Once they were close enough and all they could see was their partner's lips, their eyes fell closed and their lips touched.

They'd kissed before, but this was something different. Erik cupped her cheek harder, rhythmically moving his lips along hers, savoring the warm, smooth feeling that was slowly getting more intense as they kissed.

Ondina felt strange. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and there she was, kissing him. She knew, when they were laying together earlier, looking up at the stars, that this would probably happen tonight. She thought of the novels of Rita's that she'd read about romance and kissing, what it'd feel like when the kiss was longer than the five-second one she'd first given him.

The characters in those stories described their kiss when it happened and their thoughts as it occurred. When hers and Eric's lips fell together, it was entirely different than what she'd expected. When they were leaning into kiss, and when they were actually kissing, she wasn't thinking of anything, she was just doing, like it all came naturally. Her mind was completely blank—she was doing everything out of pure instinct and pleasure. She _loved_ this feeling of warmth, this feeling that was much more sensitive than the regular skin-to-skin contact.

Eric pressed on harder as their lips separated for short two-second periods to get air, and then pressed together again for ten. He found himself now stroking her cheek instead of his holding it in place. The left hand of his that he was laying on found the right hand she was laying on, and he held it tightly. Ondina's free hand found the bicep of the arm that held her face, and she clutched it.

After a while, they found their bodies connecting to each other like magnets. Within minutes, both of Erik's arms were slipped around Ondina and hooked behind her back, pushing their bodies together so that no space resided between them. Ondina's right arm was under his armpit and up in his golden hair, while her left was cupped to his jaw. There wasn't much room for this position to work comfortably, but she didn't care, as her entire body was as warm as can be, even if her heart was beating faster than ever.

Though it felt like hours, minutes passed, and finally, the pair broke apart out of pure exhaustion, even though they didn't want to. Their breaths were still heavy, and Ondina was now shivering due to being out of her boyfriend's warm embrace.

Erik glanced over at Ondina with a smile on his face.

"Well, that was fun," he said, reaching his hand out for her to take. She took it, glancing at him and sighing.

"I've never done anything like that before," she said, looking down at their interlocked hands.

"Trust me, me neither," he said, sitting up. She leaned over to him and rested her head on his chest, breathing heavily.

"You okay?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"I'm fine, but that was so… weird!"

"So're you saying you didn't like it?" he said, pulling away from her to look her in the eye.

"I mean, of course I liked it, but…" she said awkwardly.

"Mmm _hmmm_ …" he said, eyebrows raised. "Well, we need to get this raft back over to shore, and I know just the way to do it."

"Oh, now that you mention it… how _are_ we gonna get it back over? I mean, we can't just use our powers—"

Suddenly, Ondina fell backwards into the water. She popped back up with a tail and an angry look in her eye. Erik fell back on the raft, laughing.

"Why… would… you… _push_ … me?!" she said furiously. "You know, that's it!"

She swam underneath the raft and mustered all the power she could to flip the raft over. Erik's smile faded when he realized he was getting his payback.

After he felt his tail appear, Erik swam up, laughing, and threw the raft up onto the land part of the cave. He swam over to Ondina, who was turned away from him.

"What're you—" she started when she felt his hands on her shoulders, but Erik, with a big smile, dunked her before she could finish. He took a breath and plunged under with her.

Underwater, she was crossing her arms with an angry look on her face. Eric was still laughing. At this, Ondina's frown began to lessen and a smile creeped up on her face, though it was unwanted. Erik swam closer to her, cupped her face in both of his hands, and pressed his lips to hers for a few seconds. When they broke apart, he raised his eyebrows and swam to air.

"So you had fun today?" Erik asked when Ondina surfaced.

She looked down at the water, then up at him, blushing.

~.x.x.x.~

"It was so sweet," Sirena said, her hands on her knees and a smile as wide as the ocean itself. "We went to see a movie and I got to meet his parents. He'd set up a dinner and everything!"

"What about you, Ondina?" Evie asked, catching the mermaid's attention. "How was your day with Erik?"

"…Let's just say I had the _best_ valentine ever," said Ondina, beaming. She then broke out into a few giggles, and the other three girls followed suit.

* * *

 **Please leave your thoughts on this first tale, and, of course, don't forget to request if you have an idea!**


	3. Collision

**Requested by Izi Wilson—Thank you for your reviews! The Zac/Mimmi relationship isn't too strong in the show, which is why this was more on the difficult side to write, especially since the show hasn't developed the brother-sister relationship as much as they could have.**

 **I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I got a raging case of writer's block, which I'm fixing as much as I possibly can. It's not just that, but I try to make these as long as I can for you guys. I'm expecting this one to be pretty long, as I'm spending a lot of time developing it into a real story, like something that could easily be a real Mako Mermaids episode length if it was actually played out.**

 **Regarding Zac and Mimmi again and how they aren't as close at this point in the show, I'll probably write more about these two as I get more comfortable exploring what Zac and Mimmi have to offer as family.**

 **This one solidifies the bond between brother and sister. No matter the fights, no matter the troubles, family always comes first.**

 **Title: Collison**

 **Characters: Zac and Mimmi**

 **Time Period: Set after 2x26, "The Chosen One"**

 **Summary: Zac and Mimmi develop more as brother and sister, but this winds up causing more disagreements and pointless arguments. However, when a new teenager is introduced who has a mysterious power, it puts Mimmi in trouble, and only one person can save her.**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

The front door slammed shut. The impact echoed all throughout the house. Sirena groaned.

Ondina continued to paint her nails, unaffected by the commotion. However, when she heard angry footsteps above her, she looked up in alarm.

"Are they at it again?" Ondina asked Sirena.

"Probably," Sirena sighed, grabbing a bubblegum pink polish.

As suspected, the passageway to the grotto opened soon enough, and in came a fuming Mimmi.

"Weird. Before Zac came along, she'd never really get angry about anything," Ondina murmured to Sirena, just quietly enough so Mimmi couldn't hear.

Mimmi stomped down the stairs and plopped herself onto a nearby ledge, folding her arms tightly against her chest.

"Oh, what happened, Mimmi?" asked Sirena sincerely, putting down her nail polish to turn and talk to Mimmi.

"He just always _has_ to be right, it drives me mad!"

"What did he do?" Sirena asked.

"We were at the café, and David needed help totaling something. _I_ got the answer first but _he_ interrupted me! Obviously, I told him his answer was _wrong_ and that David was asking me. He told me to stop being a brat and that the world didn't revolve around me… so I left. David wound up having to total it himself."

"Oh, Mimmi, I'm sor—"

"What did the total end up being?" Ondina asked, interrupting Sirena. Both Mimmi and Sirena turned towards Ondina and glared daggers at her, in which she innocently replied, "Sorry, just wondering…" to.

"I just… I thought finally having family would be fun! But he treats me like dirt..."

"He doesn't mean what he says, Mimmi, he doesn't," said Sirena.

"Then why does he say it?" Mimmi asked, though it came out more like a statement.

"Well, Aquata and I used to fight. She'd always steal my comb and I'd get really mad. I'd say things I didn't mean. Maybe it's because I knew that no matter what, she wouldn't be able to ditch me like friends could. Overall, though, we're still family. We still love each other a lot," Sirena said.

"Yeah. I guess," Mimmi said. "I'm going to try to clear my mind for a bit."

"Ooh, wanna go to the café with Ondina and I?"

"Sure, that sounds nice," said Mimmi, offering a small smile.

"…Actually… I don't think I'll be going. Not for a while," Ondina said, not looking up from her nails. "Nobody who works there knows what I like anymore."

Sirena and Mimmi exchanged a look, but shrugged it off, linking arms and leaving.

~.x.x.x.~

Mimmi and Sirena sat at a table outside, looking out at the sea. Mimmi's happy mood began to fade as soon as her thoughts landed on Zac. She knew he didn't mean what he said to hurt her, but nobody from the pod had ever called her names or treated her badly at all.

"Oh, hey Sirena, Mimmi!" Carly called, bouncing from table to table. "I'll be with you guys in a second."

"That's alright, take your time," Sirena said kindly, waving her hand dismissively.

Mimmi sat upright, still staring out at the sea. Her eyes moved to the dock and she saw a group of children running around, and a teenage boy who was very tan and built standing on a corner, probably looking after the kids.

Suddenly, she heard a voice in her ear.

"Hey, Mimms," said her brother with a wide smile. He sat in the open seat of the girls' table.

Mimmi continued looking out at the sea as if he wasn't even there.

"Oh, so you're giving me the silent treatment, huh?" Zac said, face cringing up. " _How mature._ "

"You're trying to talk to _me_ about maturity?" Mimmi snapped, standing up and facing her brother. "You still play with your stupid land toys! You're the most childish person I know!"

Zac also stood up.

"At least I have a girlfriend! That makes me much more mature than you, girl who's never even kissed a guy!"

"What I do with boys is none of your business," Mimmi said, disgusted. "And me knowing that my personal affairs are none of your concern _is_ quite mature! You flaunting off the fact that you're dating someone is extremely immature!"

At this point, the sibling's bickering had cause attention from neighboring customers.

"Not here, guys, please," warned Sirena. At this, Mimmi nodded and sat back down. Zac stood his ground.

"So now you're just giving up? I have such a coward for a sister. Stop being such a _brat_ ," Zac sneered. Mimmi immediately stood up and marched away from her friends and towards the dock, avoiding any kind of contact with anyone else.

Mimmi plunged into the water and sped away towards Mako.

Little did she know that there were a pair of eyes who watched her dive into the water, and watched her grow a tail.

~.x.x.x.~

Zac lay on his bed, hands on his forehead. Mimmi was posing a real problem for him. Of course, he was excited to finally not be an only child, but now he knew having a sibling wasn't all it seemed. Zac and Mimmi argued more than they talked.

What was her problem? He'd tried to talk to her earlier and all she did was ignore him.

Zac's mouth scrunched up at the thought of her. He'd never understand girls and their screwed up logic.

He heard his open door creak and he sat up. There stood his best friend, Cam. He sighed and lay back down.

"What's up with you?" Cam asked.

Zac gave another long sigh and sat up. He looked at Cam with a smile.

"Nothing. Hey, wanna do something?"

~.x.x.x.~

Mimmi floated atop the mysteriously blue waters of the moon pool, looking up at the day-lit sky. She sung quietly to herself a song that Sirena taught her.

After a while, she swam over to an edge of the pool and lay against it. She stared at the water as if it was endless, like her thoughts. Sometimes, when she was alone, she'd wonder about her mother. Sometimes all she could ever think about was how badly she wished she could meet her. She had so many questions.

Suddenly, she heard a rumble behind her. Quickly, she turned to the source of the sound.

On the land part of the cave stood the teenage boy she had seen at the dock earlier. He was staring right at her. She was now exposed to him as a mermaid, and her face was tied to the tail.

She contemplated leaving, swimming out of the cave and back to Rita's. But what would that do? What if this boy grew curious and searched for more mermaids? There were plenty all around Mako since the pod had returned, Mimmi knew.

Plus, now that he had a face, he could easily expose her for what she was. Everyone could know her greatest secret.

So she stood her ground and stared up at the boy, thinking of what to say.

"Please don't leave," the boy said quietly. As she'd noticed earlier, he was very tan and muscular, but along with that came a pair of amber eyes and golden-red hair.

"Who are you?" Mimmi asked.

"Hayden. Might I ask you the same question?" the boy said, squatting down to Mimmi's level.

"I'm Mimmi…" Mimmi said.

"It's a pleasure," Hayden said.

Mimmi stared up at him, and he stared down at her.

"I'm sorry, this is probably weird for you…" she said.

"No need for an apology. Believe it or not, I've come across quite a lot of weird things in my time," he said. She gave a small nod.

"How did you get in here? I thought the only entrance was through the underwater tunnel," Mimmi asked.

"Well, I-I found another one," said Hayden hesitantly. "Had to clear some rocks to get in…"

Mimmi, not having explored the island too thoroughly, believed this.

"So you also have legs? Can you turn into a mermaid at will?" Hayden asked, desperate for a change of subject.

Mimmi shook her head.

"I WISH it was at will! No, it's once you hit water, then you're bound to transform," she said. She looked down, and then back up at the boy, concern in her eyes.

"Please," she said. "You can't tell anyone else about this, about me. Believe it or not, you're the first that's caught me like this…"

"I won't tell…" he said, scooting closer to her. "If you answer a few things. Are there more of you?"

"Mermaids..?" she said. "Yes."

"Are there mermen too?"

"Yes."

"Locally?"

"…Yes."

"How many?"

"A lot all around here, but their power relies on this island. I have a few friends who are like me, though, who live on land too."

"…Who are they?"

"Their names are Sirena, Ondina, Evie, Zac, and Rita…" Mimmi said quietly. She looked at him with pleading eyes. " _Please_ don't tell. About me, about any of us."

Hayden smiled.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

~.x.x.x.~

Sirena and Ondina stood on Rita's porch, admiring the scenery from the tall view.

Sirena turned to Ondina.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Ondina looked down, then back up at the world in front of them.

"I don't know."

Sirena leaned over to Ondina and put her arm around her back, side-hugging her.

Behind them, there was the sound of a door opening, and Sirena and Ondina broke apart and span around.

There stood Zac and Cam, a fishnet and a jug of temporary blue dye in their hands.

"We want to prank Mimmi," the two said with big smiles. Ondina and Sirena looked at one another, then back at the boys, eyebrows raised higher than anyone could have ever remembered them to be.

~.x.x.x.~

"So how did you become a mermaid?" Hayden asked, standing across the room from Mimmi.

Mimmi, now in her land form, leaned up against the moon pool cave's walls.

"I was always a mermaid," she responded, looking up at Hayden. "I used a ring to grow legs, though. It's kind of confusing, but I already told you about my ring. I mainly live on land now."

He nodded.

The pair had been talking for hours about Mimmi, her powers, her friends, and mer-people in general.

Hayden walked over to Mimmi.

"Mimmi?" he started.

"Yes?" she responded.

Hayden smiled and grabbed her hands.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yes, of course. Especially since I told you all of this."

"Good, that's good," he said, nodding.

He moved her hands behind her back and pressed her closer to the wall.

"W-what are you doing?" Mimmi said, voice quivering as he got closer.

"I really like you, Mimmi," Hayden said, still smiling, as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers.

He pulled away around five seconds after leaning in. He could feel Mimmi become less tense.

"…Wow…" she said slowly, smiling.

"Yeah," he said. "Mimmi… if you trust me, don't move a muscle. I want you to close your eyes."

"…Okay…" she said, closing her eyes, remembering briefly when she asked another guy to do the same for her.

Hayden removed his hands from hers, backing away slowly. He reached into his right pants pocket and pulled out a lighter. Careful not to let the flame go out as he lit it, he set his finger on fire. For a second, his entire body glowed a mix of red, orange, and yellow, but then his body returned to its original hue. He slipped the lighter back into his pocket.

He braced his legs and held his hands up. Slowly, he began pulling the oxygen from the room. He wasn't going to kill the girl, but merely knock her out for a while.

He noticed her breathing becoming quicker and more unsteady as he sucked away more oxygen.

"Everything alright?" he asked, taking a moment to look in her direction. Her eyes were still closed.

"Yeah, I'm just a little… lightheaded…"

And just as she spoke, Mimmi fell to the ground. Hayden stopped removing the air and grinned.

He slowly approached her limp body, retrieving sections of long rope from the loops of his shorts.

~.x.x.x.~

"Okay, aaaaaaaand… there," Zac said, successfully tying a bucket of temporary blue dye to the net.

"So, how's it work?" asked Cam, admiring the finished product. The fishnet was draped all across the top of Rita's pool so it covered any way of entrance; tied to it was the bucket.

"So, when she comes in later, she'll get caught in the net, and pulling on it will tip over the bucket so the whole pool will fill with blue dye! She'll turn blue!"

"You do realize that, if this stupid plan works, she'll only be blue in her mermaid form, right?" Ondina snapped.

"Ah. Didn't think about that. Oh well. A blue mermaid's better than a regular one!" Zac said, laughing.

"But what will happen when the water gets filled with dye? How long will it be like that?" Sirena asked.

"Not long," Cam responded. "After a bit, it'll just dissolve, fade. Probably overnight."

"I really don't think this is a good idea…" Sirena said quietly.

" _Think_? It's a horrible idea!" Ondina said, walking over to the two laughing boys. "Oh, shut up. Call me when it backfires on you like it's bound to."

She walked up the stairs and out of the room.

~.x.x.x.~

"Hello, Mimmi," Hayden said when Mimmi opened her eyes.

She was laying on the ground, hands and feet bound so that they were unmovable. It took her a minute to remember what had happened. She shifted herself to lean against the wall.

"Why am I tied up?" Mimmi asked innocently.

"Don't you get it, Mimmi?" Hayden said. "I did this. So glad you decided to trust me, because now, you're going to help me."

"H-help you do what…?" asked Mimmi, now tensing up in fear.

"Eliminate all of the mer-people around Mako. If you play your cards right, you'll be the last to go."

Mimmi's scared eyes moved into a frown.

"Why are you doing this?"

Hayden chuckled. He put his hands behind his back, and suddenly, a ball of fire rested in his right palm. He threw the ball over his shoulder to his left hand, and from there, tossed the ball into the moon pool.

"Woah…" Mimmi said quietly, scooting further away from the boy.

"You see, Mimmi, all I want is to rule the world. For a teenage boy, there aren't many options right now, but what I can do… is rule Mako. It's an island with all sorts of powers that I will use to rule everyone locally, and then I'll move up to becoming the leader of the world!

"See, the problem, though," Hayden said, stepping closer to Mimmi. "Is that mer-people like _you_ are all over, living at this island. The only way for me to claim the island as my own is for all of you to either leave… or die. And since they're obviously not going anywhere…"

"No," Mimmi said. "I'm not going to help you. Please, if you could just let me go and I'll tell the pod to leave—"

"Oh, Mimmi," Hayden said, laughing once more. "I believe that's not possible. Your friends will want to fight for their island. Normally, I'd be able to take on quite a few mermaids, but with _all_ of them attacking me, I'll lose. That's why I'm going to kill them, one by one. It'll take a while, but with your help, I'll have the island in no time."

" _I'm not going to help you_ ," Mimmi repeated more sharply than before.

"Hmm hmm hmm, now that won't do…" said Hayden, kneeling down to face Mimmi. "If you don't help me, I'll target your closer friends first. Maybe Evie… or Rita… Sirena… Ondina, didn't you say she was your best friend? Or Zac… your brother."

"NO! NO! DON'T YOU LAY A HAND ON THEM! LET ME GO!" Mimmi shouted, squirming around in her binds. Hayden laughed devilishly.

"So here's what's going to happen," he said. More fire appeared on his hand, and he held it like it was an object. He began to move it close to Mimmi's face. Right before it touched her, he pulled back.

"I'll give you ten minutes to make up your mind. Either you help me… or this," he said, holding up his fiery hand. "Is your other option."

~.x.x.x.~

As Zac sat on Rita's porch with Cam, Sirena, and Ondina, he couldn't help but wonder where Mimmi was. He hadn't checked the trap in ten minutes, but he had a feeling she still hadn't shown up yet.

He looked over the scenery from Rita's porch. Suddenly, he saw something that didn't belong. He jolted back.

He was in the cave inside of Mako. He saw a boy who seemed to be around his age kneeling down in front of him. The boy was holding fire as if it was an object. He neared it closer and closer to Zac's face, and all Zac could feel was fear…

He blinked and saw the familiar view of Rita's home. He immediately stood up, realizing that this vision had to be his sister's if it wasn't his.

"Zac? What's wrong?" Sirena asked, standing up as well. Their other two friends followed suit.

"Mimmi's in trouble. I'm going out to save her. Nobody come along," Zac said, heading back inside the house and down the stairs to the front door.

"Wait! What if something happens to you?" asked Sirena.

"Sirena, Ondina, if I'm not back in around half an hour, come to Mako," Zac said hurriedly. He looked out at the water, then back to his friends. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

Zac began running, plunging into the sea of water nearby.

"I'm always _so important_ in situations like these," murmured Cam. Ondina smacked him on the back of his head, and he whispered a sharp, "Ow."

~.x.x.x.~

"Time's up," Hayden said, moving to the bound Mimmi. She sat, defiantly staring up at him.

Mimmi kept her glossy blue-gray eyes set on Hayden. She let out a long sigh. Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"What's your decision?" asked Hayden, re-spawning a fireball in his hand.

"My friends… my brother…" she said quietly. "I'll will not let you hurt them! They… they're my family. I love them so much. So… if that means you kill me right here and now, that's okay. But you're not going to kill them."

"What makes you so sure?" Hayden laughed, tossing a fireball at Mimmi's head. It hit the area right above her head, causing a small part of her hair to singe. Her eyes were closed tightly as she embraced what was going to happen to her.

Suddenly, Hayden was lifted high into the air. He moved up to the top of the dormant volcano where it opened, and then he dropped hundreds of feet into the pool below.

Mimmi, wide-eyed, rolled herself over to the pool to see where Hayden wound up. He floated gently on the water. She was unsure if he was still alive, especially since he was kind of made up of fire.

Zac twisted his hand, causing him to be visible again. He grinned up at his sister from the water.

"Zac," Mimmi said, smiling. "You're here."

"I heard what you said, about me and our friends. It's amazing that you'd do something like that for us. _Thank you_ , Mimmi."

"No, thank you. I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't shown up," Mimmi said, eyes becoming slightly watery. Zac stretched up and hugged his sister, who couldn't return the hug due to her hands being bound.

The hug had gotten Mimmi slightly wet, so quickly, Zac untied her feet and helped her slide into the water.

Once she was in the water and in her mermaid form, Zac undid her hands. Mimmi noticed a lighter lingering halfway out of Hayden's pocket. She grabbed it and banged it against the wall several times, breaking it.

"What do we do now?" Mimmi asked, looking over at Hayden.

"He might still be alive, so I'll keep him here for a while. I want you to go back to Rita's and find Sirena or Ondina—they're at her place. Then, I need you to go warn the pod, talk to the mermaid council about the situation. I'm sure they'll sort everything out. For now, someone has to stay here and make sure he doesn't get away, but I don't want to leave you alone with that guy again."

Mimmi nodded, giving Zac a smile.

"Thank you. I couldn't ask for a better brother."

The pair exchanged another hug, and once they broke apart, Mimmi gave Zac another smile and exited the pool.

As Mimmi swam back to Rita's, she almost reached Rita's grotto entrance, but she ran into Ondina and Sirena before she could get there, who were heading to Mako on Zac's request. She signaled for the girls to surface.

"What happened?!" Ondina said immediately when they were exposed to air.

"There's a guy… he can control fire. He's out to destroy all mermaids so he can rule Mako, and one day, I guess, the world. Zac's holding him down at Mako right now—don't worry, Zac's fine—but we should go to Veridia and tell her about him. Maybe she'll be able to take care of it so nothing like this happens again."

Mimmi's two friends nodded in unison. The trio swam out to where the pod usually floated around this time of day. The three girls spotted the mermaid council and made their way over.

"Hi, Veridia, we have a situation," said Mimmi.

"What is it?" asked Veridia sternly. Mimmi opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted when a smaller mermaid pounced on Ondina.

"Hi, big sister!" Neppy squealed, clinging on to the girl she grew closet to in her land stay. Ondina couldn't help but smile, wrapping her arms around the young girl.

"Hey, Neppy, it's great to see you," she said. Neppy released her and looked over at the three girls.

"What brings you here again? I know you guys sometimes pop in and out but I thought you said you'd be gone for the week!" the younger mermaid exclaimed.

"Yes, we were planning on staying on land this week, but something bad happened that we need taken care of," Ondina said.

"Ooh! Can I help?!" asked Neppy.

"Well," said Ondina, turning from Neppy to Veridia. "If it's okay with Veridia, I think we could really use the help of a brave, strong girl like you."

~.x.x.x.~

Zac, Mimmi, Sirena, and Ondina swam to Rita's, but swam above-water instead, doing doggy-paddles so they could all converse.

"I wonder where they took him," said Mimmi.

"I'm more surprised that Neppy could cast a spell on him like that! She's learned a lot," Ondina chuckled.

"Guess she took your advice to take mermaid school seriously," Sirena shrugged.

"Well, wherever he is now, I'm sure they're making sure he's never going to harm another person again," Zac said, smiling.

"I'm ready to go back to the grotto," said Mimmi. "Can we race?"

"Sure!" Zac said, smiling.

Ondina and Sirena exchanged a look, remembering Zac's trap and realizing he must have forgotten about it.

"Actually," interjected Ondina. "I wanted to show Sirena and Mimmi something at the café. We'll meet you back there really soon, though!"

Sirena had a wide smile, and Mimmi just looked confused, but Ondina gestured for the girls to follow her. Zac shrugged and began to swim to Rita's.

"What do you have to show us?" asked Mimmi when Zac left.

"Nothing," Ondina said. "But we're going to want to be inside the grotto before Zac gets there, but we have to use the land entrance. Come on."

~.x.x.x.~

As Zac entered the grotto, he was suddenly trapped underneath a net. Blue dye made its way around the pool. Zac groaned, only just remembering he was the one who set this up.

Looking down at him were the three girls, all giggling, and Cam, smirking.

"Zac'd intended for that to be for you," Cam said to Mimmi. Mimmi began to laugh even harder.

"I guess this is why we need to stop fighting as much. Right, Zac?" Mimmi said, giggling again at her brother.

"Right," Zac groaned, helplessly looking up at his friends.

* * *

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